The fate of Westeros is likely to come to resolution quicker than you think.
HBO today confirmed rumors that the final two seasons of Game of Thrones will be shortened from the usual 10 episodes. Executive Producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss tell Variety.com season seven will be reduced to seven episodes and season eight, expected to be the last, will only have six to eight chapters.
But while show’s next seasons will shorter, they will be pushed back a bit, likely not airing until next summer instead of in the spring.
Filming for season seven was scheduled to start at summer’s end, but the show’s creators say they will likely delay production, which takes place in Northern Ireland, Spain, and Iceland, to match the “winter is here,” theme set for the show at the end of last season.
“Now that winter has arrived on ‘Game of Thrones,’ executive producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss felt that the storylines of the next season would be better served by starting production a little later than usual, when the weather is changing,” said Casey Bloys, president, HBO programming.
Last week, GOT received 23 Emmy nominations to go along with the 26 Emmys it’s won in previous years.
Fans online were upset that the seasons will be shortened leading up to the show’s inevitable coup de grace.